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Book Report: Coop: A Year of Poultry, Pigs, and Parenting

January 4th, 2010

This past weekend I took an entire day off. I enjoyed a few cups of tea while reading through a book cover to cover in almost one day (Mr Chiots wanted to watch movie in the evening, so I finished up the book the next morning). The book I read through was Coop: A Year of Poultry, Pigs, and Parenting.

It’s a delightful book, easy to read.  At first it’s a bit hard to follow because he tells the story like we think, jumping around.  When something reminds him of another story he tells the other story.  The result is a wonderful weaving of past and present, a great example of the way memories flood our minds when something stirs them up.  Sprinkled throughout the book are the lessons he’s learning during his quest to become a small farmer or live a more self-sufficient lifestyle.  It’s a great representation of how we are all the sum of our history, our life from birth shapes us into who we are.  What we experienced in childhood often permeates our adult lives. 

If you’ve ever thought of keeping a few chickens, having a small farm or currently do farm you’ll find a lot of wonderfully familiar stories in this book. I’d highly recommend putting it on your winter reading list! I might add a few of his other books to my future reading list (Truck: A Love Story, Off Main Street: Barnstormers, Prophets & Gatemouth’s Gator and Population: 485)

Read any great books lately?

9 Comments to “Book Report: Coop: A Year of Poultry, Pigs, and Parenting”
  1. pam on January 4, 2010 at 8:14 am

    That sounds wonderful. I added it to my wishlist and Population: 485.
    .-= pam´s last blog ..The Kindle and The Help =-.

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  2. kristin @ going country on January 4, 2010 at 8:46 am

    I actually read this one, which I got after you mentioned it here (thanks!). I had previously tried to read his earlier books and could never get into them, but this one was pretty good. My husband even read it. It was really nice to read a book about homesteading that was NOT written in the “urban transplant” genre. Not that those books aren’t also entertaining in their own way sometimes, but they often come off as condescending. This guy grew up on a farm and is obviously comfortable with rural life.

    Plus, he’s a junk farmer of the highest order (meaning someone who makes all their pens and buildings out of salvage stuff cobbled together) which we always appreciate, being inveterate junk farmers ourselves.
    .-= kristin @ going country´s last blog ..I Just Have To Share This With You =-.

    Reply to kristin @ going country's comment

    • Susy on January 4, 2010 at 10:03 am

      Yes, I actually had trouble getting into it the first chapter, but after that I really enjoyed it.

      I do love that he’s a junk farmer, it’s funny to imagine what all of his stuff looks like. Probably like all the farms around here!

      Reply to Susy's comment

  3. Michelle on January 4, 2010 at 11:43 am

    I just cracked open “Grace (Eventually): Thoughts on Faith” by Anne Lamott. She’s one of my favorite author’s… So far, so good!
    .-= Michelle´s last blog ..Staying organized. =-.

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  4. Beegirl on January 4, 2010 at 9:54 pm

    I just finished Coop too and liked it! Hooray for winter reading!!
    .-= Beegirl´s last blog ..Life: Unscripted =-.

    Reply to Beegirl's comment

  5. Pampered Mom on January 4, 2010 at 10:27 pm

    I *loved* “Truck” and “Population 485”. I just got “Coop” from the library today and am really enjoying it. I didn’t really have difficulty getting into them, but I suspect that’s probably because it tends to be the way I think.
    .-= Pampered Mom´s last blog ..St. Johns Wort =-.

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  6. MoonFlower on January 6, 2010 at 2:23 pm

    coop is definitely one of my favorite books= )
    .-= MoonFlower´s last blog ..Love stories =-.

    Reply to MoonFlower's comment

  7. Colleen on January 7, 2010 at 6:55 pm

    I thought Truck was a fabulous book – Coop was good – but Truck was really wonderful!! Right now I’m reading Eating Animals. Definitely a lot to think about with that book!
    .-= Colleen´s last blog ..happy chickens =-.

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  8. disosawilliams on July 3, 2010 at 5:39 am

    My husband even read it. It was really nice to read a book about homesteading that was NOT written in the “urban transplant” genre. Not that those books aren’t also entertaining in their own way sometimes, but they often come off as condescending. This guy grew up on a farm and is obviously comfortable with rural life. book report | theses

    Reply to disosawilliams's comment

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This is a daily journal of my efforts to cultivate a more simple life, through local eating, gardening and so many other things. We used to live in a small suburban neighborhood Ohio but moved to 153 acres in Liberty, Maine in 2012.

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